Three WCHA Teams Selected to NCAA Tournament Field
March 13, 2005
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MADISON, Wisc. - Three Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) teams have been named to the 2005 NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Tournament field as announced by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Minnesota (32-2-2/25-1-2), Minnesota Duluth (26-5-2/22-4-2) and Wisconsin (28-8-1/20-7-1) will represent the league in the eight-team field. Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth earned the No. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively, and will host their one-game quarterfinals.
This is the first year eight teams have been selected for the championship. Of the eight teams, the top two teams have been seeded, guaranteeing if the teams advance, they will not meet until the championship game. With the expansion to eight teams, regionals have also been established. Regionals will be played Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19, at sites - the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Dartmouth College; Harvard University and the University of Minnesota Duluth. The winner of each regional will advance to the 2005 Women's Frozen Four.
The defending national champions, Minnesota will host Providence College (21-10-5) of Hockey East. Minnesota won the WCHA regular season title and earned the automatic bid with their playoff tournament championship. The Gophers are making their fourth NCAA appearance in the last four years. The Gophers advanced to the to the Frozen Four in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Game time is 7 p.m. on March 18 at Ridder Arena.
Minnesota Duluth won three-straight NCAA titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Last weekend, the Bulldogs captured third place at the WCHA Women's Playoff Championship Tournament. The Bulldogs, who finished second in the regular season standings, will host St. Lawrence (26-7-5) on March 18.
Wisconsin, who was edged by Minnesota in overtime in the WCHA Playoff Championship game, is making its first appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Badgers were third in the league standings during the regular season and will travel to ECACHL league runner-up, Dartmouth (26-6-0). The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 19.
In the other regional quarterfinal, Harvard (24-6-3) will host Mercyhurst (28-6-2) on Saturday, March 19.
New Hampshire will host the 2005 Women's Frozen Four, March 25 and 27, at the Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, New Hampshire. The semifinal games will be played live at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., Friday, March 25 on CSTV. A third-place game will be contested at 12:30 p.m., Sunday, March 27. The championship game will be played live at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 27, on CSTV.
The WCHA is home to the national champions as Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth are the only two teams in the history of the women's national tournament to win the title.
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